The present invention generally relates to a truck, a system and a method for transporting articles having a dumping bin and a storage compartment attached to a cab of the vehicle. More specifically, the present invention relates to a truck having a dumping bin attached to the cab wherein the dumping bin may be operated from within the cab. The truck further has a storage compartment having a ramp attached to the storage compartment. The ramp may be lowered to enable loading and unloading of the truck. The ramp may also be raised to provide a gate for the storage compartment.
It is, of course, generally known to load and/or unload materials, equipment or the like onto a vehicle. A truck is one example of a vehicle onto which a user may load or unload materials or equipment. Known trucks may have a cab having a storage compartment attached to the cab. The storage compartment may have an interior which may hold various materials, such as products, equipment, waste products, or other items.
Often, the storage compartment is elevated which may cause difficulty for a user to load or unload the truck. In some instances, a ramp is positioned adjacent to the loading area of the truck to reduce the amount of work required to place materials within the storage compartment. However, positioning a ramp proximate to the loading area of the truck is often a labor-intensive task.
Certain other trucks may have a dumping bin attached to the cab into which a user may place waste products. The dumping bin may be positioned next to a dumping site and may be tilted to an angle, causing items within the dumping bin to exit the dumping bin. A user generally operates the dumping bin by exiting the cab of the truck and actuating the appropriate button, lever or like device to tilt the dumping bin. Exiting the cab may be inconvenient in certain instances. For example, the user may attempt to position the dumping bin near a dumping area. The proximity of the truck to the dumping area may cause the user difficulty in exiting the cab. In other instances, such as inclement weather, the user is inconvenienced by having to exit the cab of the truck to operate the dumping bin.
Trucks are often implemented in the landscaping industry, particularly, transporting of landscaping equipment and/or materials to the site requiring landscaping work and removal of rubbish and the like from the site. A landscaper loads and unloads the necessary landscaping equipment and/or materials onto a truck or other vehicle for transport to the site. The landscaper may also be required to store and remove waste products from the landscaping site. These duties are often difficult to perform due to deficiencies of known trucks.
A need, therefore, exists for a truck, a system and a method for transporting articles having a cab and a dumping bin attached to the cab wherein the dumping bin may be operated from inside the cab. A further need exists for a truck, a system and a method for transporting articles having a cab and a storage compartment attached to the cab wherein the storage compartment further has a ramp which may be raised or lowered to load or unload the storage compartment.
The present invention provides a truck, a system and a method for transporting articles having a cab wherein a dumping bin and a storage compartment are attached to the cab. The dumping bin may be tilted to facilitate dumping of materials placed within the dumping bin. The dumping bin may be operated from within the cab. The storage compartment has a ramp attached to the storage compartment. The ramp may be raised or lowered to assist with loading or unloading materials from the storage compartment.
To this end, in an embodiment of the present invention, a truck is provided. The truck has a cab having a body having walls defining an interior. A bed is provided extending along a horizontal plane between a front end and a rear end wherein the front end is closest to the cab and the rear end is furthest from the cab and further wherein the bed is defined along an axis extending from the front end to the rear end. Also provided is a dumping bin having walls and a base defining an interior wherein the dumping bin is positioned at the front end of the bed and further wherein the dumping bin moves in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the bed. A cylinder is positioned adjacent to the base of the dumping bin wherein the cylinder moves the dumping bin. A storage compartment is provided having walls defining an interior and is positioned on the bed adjacent to the dumping bin. A controller in communication with the cylinder is also provided wherein the controller is located within the interior of the cab and further wherein the controller is activated to move the dumping bin in the direction perpendicular to the axis of the bed.
In an embodiment, the truck has a ramp attached to the storage compartment.
In an embodiment, the truck has a winch attached to the storage compartment wherein the winch is controlled by the controller.
In an embodiment, the truck has a panel on the dumping bin wherein the panel is controlled by the controller.
In an embodiment, the truck has a retractable door providing access to the storage compartment.
In an embodiment, the dumping bin is positioned between the cab and the storage compartment.
In an embodiment, the truck has a door providing access to the storage compartment.
In an embodiment, the truck has a ramp attached to the storage compartment wherein the ramp has a first section and a second section wherein each of the first section and the second section is independently movable.
In an embodiment, the dumping bin and the storage compartment are attached to the bed.
In an embodiment, the truck has a section of the storage compartment extending from the interior of the storage compartment to an end of the storage compartment wherein the section has a declining slope.
In another embodiment of the present invention, a system is provided. The system has a cab having a body and walls defining an interior wherein the cab has a bed extending from the body between a first end and a second end defining an axis of the bed. The system also has a dumping bin having a body defined by walls and a base wherein the dumping bin is positioned on the bed and moves perpendicular to the axis. Also provided is a cylinder positioned between the bed and the dumping bin. A panel is positioned on the dumping bin between one of the walls and the base. In addition, a controller is positioned within the cab wherein the controller is in communication with the cylinder and causes the cylinder to move the dumping bin.
In an embodiment, the system has a storage compartment having walls defining an interior positioned on the bed adjacent to the dumping bin.
In an embodiment, the system has a retractable door positioned adjacent to the bed.
In an embodiment, the system has a ramp positioned adjacent to the bed.
In an embodiment, the system has a winch in communication with the controller.
In an embodiment, the panel may be moved into a position and locked in the position.
In another embodiment of the present invention, a method for transporting articles in a vehicle to assist in delivery and/or hauling of items from a site wherein the vehicle has a cab and a bed extending from the cab defining a length between a first end and a second end is provided. The method comprises the steps of: storing the articles in a compartment on the bed at the second end of the truck wherein the compartment has an interior for holding the articles; attaching a ramp to the compartment securing the articles in the interior of the compartment; and positioning a bin between the compartment and the cab wherein the bin tilts in only one direction transverse to the length of the bed.
In an embodiment, the method comprises an additional step of lowering the ramp from the compartment wherein the ramp has a first section and a second section independently positionable.
In an embodiment, the method comprises an additional step of raising the bin with a cylinder between the bed and the bin.
In an embodiment, the method comprises an additional step of controlling the position of the bin from within the cab.
It is, therefore, an advantage of the present invention to provide a truck, a system and a method for transporting articles which enables a user to load, transport and unload materials, the truck having a cab and further having a dumping bin and a storage compartment attached to the cab.
Another advantage of the present invention to provide a truck, a system and a method for transporting articles which enables a user to operate a dumping bin from within a cab of the truck.
Still another advantage of the present invention is to provide a truck, a system and a method for transporting articles which enables more efficient dumping of materials placed within a dumping bin of the truck.
Yet another advantage of the present invention is to provide a truck, a system and a method for transporting articles having a ramp attached to a storage compartment wherein the ramp may be raised or lowered.
A still further advantage of the present invention is to provide a truck, a system and a method for transporting articles having a ramp attached to a storage compartment which enables loading and unloading of materials from the storage compartment.
Moreover, an advantage of the present invention is to provide a truck, a system and a method for transporting articles having a ramp attached to a storage compartment wherein the ramp may be raised or lowered by actuation of a controller located within the interior of the cab.
Yet another advantage of the present invention is to provide a truck, a system and a method for transporting articles having a ramp attached to a storage compartment, wherein individual sections of the ramp may be raised or lowered.
Additional features and advantages of the present invention are described in, and will be apparent from, the detailed description of the presently preferred embodiments and from the drawings.